Track shifting and raising machine



Feb. 9 1926. 1,572,643

B. H. FALKNEIR TRACK SHIFTING AND RAISING MACHINE Filed May 25, 1925 '2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mfen on B. H. FALKNER TRACK SHIFTING AND RAIsinG MACHINE Feb, 9,1926.

, 1922s- 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .Filed May 25 fi R s-s I Patented Feb. 9, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,572,643 PATENT OFFICE. T

BENJAMIN HARRISON FALKNER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO VIESTERN WHEELED SCRAPER COMPANY, OF AURORA, ILLINDIS, A CORPORATION OE ILLI- NOIS.

TRACK SHIFTING AND RAISING MACHINE.

Application filedMay 25, 1925. Serial No. 32,705.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BENJAMIN I'IARRISON Fannnnn, acitizen of the United States,

and a resident of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Track Shifting and Raising l/lachines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to the raising and shifting of railway tracks without disconnecting the rails from the ties, and has for its object to provide a new and improved machine by which the work can be done eriiciently and economically. Generally speaking it comprises a truck adapted to run on the track and provided with means for propelling it along the railsso that it can easily be moved from place to place, and provided also with means by which the section of the track on which the machine is stationed may be raised from the ground and moved laterally away from its initial position. The propulsion of the machine, either along the rails, or laterally when the track is being shifted, and also the work of lifting and lowering the track, are accomplished by mechanism oper ated by power from an internal combustion motor or other suitable source of power mounted on the truck, the several operations being under the control of the operator through suitable devices provided for that purpose.

In the drawings, in which I have illustrated the form in which I prefer to embody my invention, 1

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved machine in position on a track ready to be operated to lift and shift it;

Fig. 2- is a plan view; 1

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section taken substantially on line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 1 is a similar view showing the position of the parts after the track has been raised for transport;

Fig. is an enlarged detail, being a par-. tial vertical section on line 55 of Fig;

3; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail showing the clamps for gripping the rails, being substantially a section on line 66 of Fig. 1.,

Referring to the drawings,7 indicates the frame of the truck which is in the form of a substantially constructed platform adapted to have mounted thereon the various operating parts hereinafter described. Said truck is mounted on wheels 8, .9 carried by axles 10, 11, respectively, which axles are journaledin suitable bearings mounted in standards 12, 13 depending from the frame 7, as best shown in Fig,

'1. One of said axles, in the present instance the axle 11, is provided with a sprocket wheel 1% by which-it may be rotated by power, as will be hereinafter de scribed. The several wheels 8, 9 are adapted to run on the rails 15 of a railway track, which rails are carried by cross-ties 16 in the usual way. At the ends of the frame 7 are clamping devices adapted to grip the rails 15 to hold the frame against upward movement relatively to the track, said clamping devices being preferably of V- the form illustrated in Figs. 1 and 7, in which they are shown as comprising a bolt 17 having a ring 18 at its lower end, thebolt being secured to the frame 7 by passing it upwardly therethrough and securing its upper end by a nut 19. The vposition of the ring may therefore be adjusted verti cally. Said ring carries two co-acting clamp members 20, 21 having eyes 22 at their upper ends through which the ring 18 is threaded sothat said clamp members hang pendent from the bolt 17. Attheir lower ends said clamp members'are' provided with oppositely disposed hooks 23, 2st adapted to co-act to grip the tread portion" of the rail 15 between them, as shown in Fig. 6. A collar'25 that'slides along the clam) members 20, 21 serves to clamp the hooit portions 23, 24 thereof together on the rail. Obviously, by providing four .of these clamping devices at the four corners of the truck frame said frame may be secured to thetrack-so that it cannot move vertically independently thereof. 7

Disposed under the frame 7 at a point substantially midway of the length thereof is a tractor 26 of the caterpillar type. Said tractor. comprises a substantially U-shape'd, frame 27, in the lower portions of the side members 28, 29 of which are mounted spindles 30, 31 on which are journaled sprocket wheels 32, 38, as shown in Figs. 3 andi. Clraveling on said sprocket wheels is an endless belt having ground engaging shoes 35. Obviously, by driving one of the wheels 32, 33, in this instance the wheel 32, the belt 34 may be driven so that by the engagement of its shoes 35 with the ground between the axes of the'wheels 32, 33 the tractor will be propelled. The tractor 26 is disposed transversely of the machine frame 7, or in other words, at right angles to the wheels 8, 9, and it is' made narrow enough so that it is adapted to engage the ground between two adjoining ties 16, as shown in Fig. 1. Also the over-all length of the tractor is such that it may be moved vertically between the rails of the track, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The end portions of the tractor frame 27 are providedwith strong upstanding rack bars 36, 37 suitably braced thereto, as best shown in Fig. 5, which rack bars constitute thrust members through which the machine frame 7, with the section of the track on which it stands, maybe lifted from the ground, or by means ofsaid rack bars the tractor may be lifted out of contact with the ground and transported along the track by means of the truck.

The arrangement'of the actuating mechanism for the parts thus far described is best shown in Fig. 2, in which 38 indicates a motor, preferably of the internal combustion type, which is mounted on the frame 7 and drives a shaft 39 which carries a clutch.

member 40, preferably of the disc type. Arranged opposite the clutch member 40 and adapted to co-act therewith is a second clutch member 41 that is carried by a shaft 42 journaled in a suitable bearing 43 on the frame 7. The clutch member 41 is movable longitudinally of the shaft 42 by means of a lever 44 that is connected with said shaft by a spline 45 so that it rotates therewith. By this means the clutch members 40, 41 may be connected or disconnected at pleasure to drive or to stop the operation of the shaft 42. At the opposite end of the shaft 42 from that which carries the'clutch .41 is mounted a bevel gear 46 which meshes a clutch 54 is provided for connecting thev gear 47 with said shaft, said clutch being controlled by a lever 55, and a clutch 56 is provided for connecting the gear 48 with said shaft, theiatter clutch being controlled by a lever 57. These parts may all be of any standard or approved design, and it isv therefore believed to beunnecessary to describe them more particularly. The purpose of the arrangement is to provide for driving the shaft 49 from the motor 38 in either direction, and obviously this may be accomplished by connecting the bevel gear 46 with said shaft either through the gear 47 or the gear 48, depending on the direction of rotation that is desired.

Preferably the gears 4748 are located near one end of the shaft 49, and near the opposite end thereof a bevel gear 58 is provided which also is loose on said shaft and is adapted to be connected therewith by a clutch 59 controlled by a lever 60. The gear 58 meshes with a bevel pinion 61 mounted 'on and rotating with a shaft 62 disposed at right angles to the'shaft 49 and mounted in suitable bearings 63, 64 carried by the frame 7. The shaft 62 also carries a sprocket wheel 65 on which runs a link belt 66 that passes through a slot 67 in the platform or frame 7 and extends around the sprocket wheel 14 on the truck axle 11. By this construction, when the clutch member 59 is actuated to connect the bevel gear 58 with the shaft 49'the shaft 62 will be driven from the shaft 49 and in turn will drive the axle 11, thereby propelling the truck. As has been explained, theshaft 49 may be rotated in either direction, and, therefore, the axle 11 may be rotated in either direction to propel the truck accordingly.

The rack bars 36, 37 are also actuated to move them vertically in either direction relatively to the truck frame by power derived from the shaft 49, this being accomplished by means of a link belt 68 which runs over a sprocket wheel 69 loose on the shaft 49 and adapted to be connected therewithby a clutch 7 0 controlled by a lever 71, as shown in Fig. 2. Said belt also runs over a sprocket wheel 72 carried by and rotating with a countershaft 73 journaled in suitable bearings 74, 75 on the frame 7. The shaft 73 carries a worm 76 which meshes with a worm wheel 77 mounted on and rotating with a shaft 78- disposed at right angles to theshafts 49 and 73, and provided at its ends with spur gears 79, 80 that mesh with the teeth of the rack-bars 36, 37, respectively. Said rack-bars are held in engagement with the gears 79, 80 by means of guides 81, 82 provided with rollers 83 against which the back margins of said rack-bars bear, as best shown in Fig. 1. By this construction the shaft 49 may be employed to drive the countershaft 73 in either direction, thereby rotating the shaft 78 with its gears 79, 80 accordingly, and consequently moving'the rack-bars 36, 37 up or down. By providing the worm drive for the shaft 78 said shaft is automatically locked against rotation in either direction and can .be rotated only by driving the countershaft 73. The rack-bars 36, 37 are, therefore, held in any position to which they may be adjusted by the operation of the actuating means therefor.

It will be'understood from what has been.

said that by rotating the shaft 49 so as to apply downward thrust to the end portions of the tractor frame 27 through the rack bars 36, 37, the tractor 26 may be moved down into engagement with the ground be tween two adjoining ties, and by continued downward thrust thereof the truck frame 7 may be lifted, the tractor frame then act ing as a fixed abutment against which the lifting force is applied. If when this operation occurs the rails of the track are locked to the truck frame by the gripping devices provided for that purpose it will be apparent that the track section on which the truck stands will be lifted bodily along with the truck and may be transported laterally from its original position by the propulsion of the tractor.

The tractor is driven to transport the track to be shifted by power derived from the shaft 49 by means of a link belt 84 that runs over a spr cket wheel 85 loosely mounted on the shaft 49 and adapted to be connected therewith by a clutch 86 controlled by a lever 87. Said link belt also runs over a sprocket wheel 88 mounted on and rotating with a shaft 89 which is mounted at the lower end portion of a vertically swinging frame comprising side members 90, 91 which are pivotally mounted upon the shaft 49 so as to swing vertically in unison. The side members 90 and 91 are preferably connected together by braces 92, 93, as best shown in Fig. 2. The shaft 89 also carries a sprocket wheel 94 which rotates with the sprocket wheel 88 and is connected by a link belt 95 with a sprocket wheel 96 mounted on androtating with one of the spindles of the tractor, in this instance the spindle 30. Said spindle is also connected with the shaft 89 by a link 97, as shown in Figs. 8 and 4. It is evident that by this construction the truck frame 7 may be moved vertically toward or from the tractor frame 27 without affecting the driving of the tractor wheels from the shaft 49, since the swinging frame comprising the members 90, 91 and the link 97' together form an extensible driving connection between the shaft 49 and the spindle 30, which remains effective regardless of variations in the angular relation of the link 97 to the members 90, 91 incident to vertical movement of the tractor frame with relation to the truck frame, or vice-versa.

In using my improved machine'it is propelled along the track to the point where section of the track is to be shifted, thepropulsion of the machine beingefl'ected by connecting the clutch members 40, 41 so as to drive the shaft 42, and connecting said shaft with the shaft 49 by means of either of the bevel gears 47, 48, depending on the direction in which the machine is to be propelled. The shaft 62 is also connected with to the truck frame 7 by means of the clamp ing devices 20, 21. Clutch is then actuated to drive shaft 73 through chain 68, which, as has been described, actuates the rack-bars 36, 37. The shaft 49 is, of course,

rotated in the proper direction to move said rack-bars downward, thereby forcing the tractor 26 into engagement with the ground between two of the ties, which results in lifting the truck frame with the section of track on which it stands. When the track has been lifted high enough for transportation purposes the clutch 70 is disconnected to stop further hoisting, but the load will he held up by reason of the irreversible character of the worm gearing 76, 77. The tractor is then driven by connecting the shaft 49 with the tractor wheels through the clutch 86 and chains 84'and 95. The tractor wheels may, .of course, be driven in either direction by appropriately driving the shaft 49. To lower the track section the shaft 73 is, of course, rotated in the reverse direction. I thus provide a machine which is well adapted for use in shifting tracks, and also where track raising operations are to he performed, since it may readily be trans;

ported from place to place, and provides power operated means for performing track ralsing operations, as well as for moving the track laterally. So far as I am aware I amthe first in the art to provide a machine arranged to operate in the manner described, and, therefore, the claims hereinafter made are to be construed generically. By describing in detail the illustrated embodiment of my invention I have not intended to limit myself to the specific. construction shown and described, as my invention includes such 7 varlatlons or modifications thereof as would occur to those familiar with the art.

Vhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A track shifting machine comprising a frame having means for attaching thereto the track to be shifted, a tractor disposed transversely of said frame and movable vertically relatively thereto, and power operated means for propelling the tractor.

2. A track shifting machine comprising a frame having means for attaching thereto the track to be shifted, a tractor disposed transversely of said frame and movable vertically relatively thereto, and power operated means mounted on said frame for pro" pelling the tractor.

3. A track shifting machine comprising i a wheeled truck having means for attaching thereto the track to be shifted, a tractor disposed transversely of the truck and movable vertically relatively thereto, and power operated means for propelling the tractor.

4. A track shifting machine comprising a wheeled truck having means for attaching thereto the track to be shifted, a tractor disposed transversely of the truck and movable vertically relatively thereto, and power operated means mounted on the truck for propelling the tractor.

5. A track shifting machine comprising a frame adapted to run on a track and having means for attaching the track thereto, a tractor disposed transversely of said frame and movable vertically relatively thereto, and power operated means for propellinir the tractor.

6'. A track shifting machine comprising a frame adapted to run on a track and having means for attaching the track thereto, a tractor disposed transversely of said frame and movable vertically relatively thereto, and power operated means mounted on the frame for propelling the tractor.

7.A track shifting machine comprising a wheeled truck adapted to run on a track and having means forattaching the track thereto, a tractor disposed transversely of the truck and movable vertically relatively thereto, and power operated means for propelling the tractor.

8. A track shifting machine comprising a wheeled truck adapted to run on a-track and having means for attaching the track thereto, a tractor disposed transversely of the truck and movable vertically relatively thereto, and power operated means mounted on the truck for propelling the tractor.

9. A track shifting machine comprising a wheeled truck adapted to run on a track and having means for attaching the track thereto, a tractor disposed transversely of the truck and movable vertically relatively thereto between the rails of the track, and

power operated means for propelling the tractor.

10. A track shifting machinecomprising a frame having means for attaching thereto the track to be shifted, a tractor disposed transversely of said frame and movable vertically relatively thereto, power operated means for propelling the tractor, and power operated means mounted on the frame for moving the frame vertically relatively to the tractor. v

11. A track shifting machine comprising a wheeled truck adapted to run on a track and having means for attaching the track thereto, a tractor disposed transversely of the truckand movable vertically relatively thereto, power operated means for propelling the tractor, and power operated means mounted on thetruck for lifting the truck on the tractor.

12. A track shifting machine comprising a frame having means for attaching thereto the track to be shifted, a tractor disposed transversely of said frame and movable vertically relatively thereto, power operated means mounted on said frame for propelling the same, and power operated means mounted onsaid frame for propelling the tractor.

13. A track shifting machine comprising a wheeled truck adapted to run on a track and having means for attaching the track thereto, a tractor disposed transversely of the truck and movable vertically relatively thereto, power operated means mounted on the truck for propelling the same, and power operated means for propelling the tractor.

l l. A-t-rack shifting machine comprising a frame having means for attaching thereto the track to be shifted, a tractor disposed transversely of said frame and movable vertically relatively thereto, power operated means mounted 011 said frame for propelling the same, power operated means mounted on said' frame for propelling the tractor, and power operated means mounted on the frame for lifting the same on the tractor.

15. A track shifting machine comprising a wheeled truck adapted to run on a' track and having means for attaching the track thereto, a tractor disposed transversely of the truck and movable vertically relatively thereto, power operated means mounted on the truck for propelling the same, power operated means for propelling the tractor, and power operated means mounted on the truck for lifting the truck on the tractor.

16. A track shifting machine comprising a wheeled truck having means for attaching thereto the track to be shifted, a tractor disposed transversely of the truck and movable vertically relatively thereto, a motor mounted on the truck,and extensible driving means operatively connecting said motor with the tractor for propelling the same.

17. A track shifting machine comprising a wheeled truck adapted to run on a track and having means for attaching the track thereto, a tractor disposed transversely of the truck, thrust bars connecting the tractor with the truck, and means mounted on the truck for actuating said thrust bars to move the truck and tractor vertically relatively to each other.

18. A track shifting machine comprising a wheeled truck adapted to run on a track said thrust bars to move the truck and trac tor vertically relatively to each other.

' mounted on the truck for propelling the with a tractor adapted to travel transversely of a railway track on the ground surface between ties thereof, of a frame having means for attaching the track thereto, and means operable to lift the track and support the same for transport on said tractor.

22. The combination with a tractor adapted to travel transversely of a railway track on the ground surface bteween ties thereof, of a truck adapted to run on the track and having means operable to lift the track and support the same for tran port on said tractor.

23. The combination with a tractor adapted to travel transversely of a railway track on the ground surface between ties thereof, of'a frame having means for attaching the track thereto, means operable to lift the track and support the same for transport on said tractor, and means mounted on said frame for propelling the tractor.

24. The combination with a tractor adapted to travel transversely of a railway track on the ground surface between ties thereof, of a truck adapted to run on the track and having means operable to lift the track and support the same for transport on said tractor, and means mounted on said truck for propelling the tractor.

25. The combination with a frame having means for attaching a railway track thereto, of ground engaging means adapted to travel on the ground between cross-ties of the track, and means mounted on said frame and operable to lift the track and said frame on said ground engaging means.

26. The combination with a truck adapted to run on a railway track and'having means for attaching the track thereto, of ground engaging means adapted to travel on the ground between cross-ties of the track, and means mounted on the truck and operable to lift the track and the truck on said ground engaging means.

27. The combination with a truck adapted to run on a railway track and having means for attaching the track thereto, of ground engaging means adapted to travel transversely of the track, means mounted on the truck and operable to lift the track and the truck on said ground engaging means, and means for propelling the truck.

28. The combination with a caterpillartractor adapted to travel transversely of a railway track, of a frame having means for attaching the track thereto, means operable to lift the track and support the same for transport on said tractor, and means mounted on said frame for tractor.

BENJAMIN HARRISON FALKNER.

propelling the 

